Word up!

First up, a few last pictures from over Christmas. These are from our very grownup and cultured trip into DC.

The National Building Museum had an exhibit on DC culture. We were cised to see this:

This is outside the National Academy of Sciences! One day we might work here...

 And this is from the National Air & Space Museum. These figures are describing different orbits of space objects or something ... but all I saw were spirographs.

Eric has been cooking up a bunch of fancy Asian food. The first is a fish curry, the second an udon noodle soup. That jonx was D-L-S!

Just a few days ago, this is what the garden looked like: crocuses, snowdrops, and the return of the rhubarb.

Becky gave the kids in the daycare bags of candy for Valentine's Day, including lollipops, I guess as some kind of revenge. We gave Oscar one and are still finding exceptionally sticky spots around the house. Also, as a good cat baby should, Oscar loves being in a box.

And these are from today! It has been snowing since last night. This morning it was pretty warm, the roads were still dry, and the snow was perfect for snowballs. We went on some errands around town and stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a little treat, and Oscar saw a young woman with longish blondish hair and said "Elizabeth!" He was very excited to see her out and about! We got home and it was still relatively nice outside, so Oscar and I tried out the sled (very hard to pull on wet snow) and making a snowman. I had a really good time rolling around a giant snowball. It took me back to my childhood, when my favorite way of doing it was pushing it with my head. And honestly, if circumstances had allowed, I totally would have done it that way today too. It started getting cold, making the snow turn into tiny pellets instead of nice fat flakes, right at lunchtime - perfect!

And while Oscar took a nap, I started tidying up my craft room so that a twin mattress could fit inside. A lot of stuff got stored in the garage temporarily, but now the room is very cozy! Oscar loves having his own bed to jump on, and that he can climb on and off of so easily.

I just read a hilarious and useful book called "the magical art of tidying up", explaining a method for getting in control of your stuff once and for all. I greatly agree with her main principle, which is to only keep things that bring you joy. She also advocates saying hello to your house when you get home, and thanking your objects for a job well done before you put them away. She has some firm ideas about how to put your clothes away too - no socks in balls, ever! Fold shirts to stand on end, not in stacks! I don't think I will be applying her method as rigorously as she describes, but it is very freeing to think of only being surrounded by things that bring me joy.

I am not nesting.

christmas part 2

It is February now after all - and we have a snowdrop blooming in the back yard, and crocuses coming up all over, and even a foolish tulip and daffodil thinking about sprouting. Today is gorgeous so we spent a little time cleaning up out back, cutting down some old stalks and moving things out of the garage. Oscar has a nice goose egg right in the middle of his forehead - he tripped and fell face-first onto the patio on his way outside. That was a horrible moment, but after two popsicles he seemed over it. Then he slipped on the ice on the patio and fell again, but this time he just got wet.

Just over six weeks left until he's a big brother! Apparently he's been very kind towards the dolls and the real babies at Becky's, so that's promising.

Anyway, here are more photos. Fun with trains and tents; a doctor (or scientist) convention, and our New Year's Eve party.